Pergola Curtain Fabrics: What Are Your Options?

For that extra touch of style and privacy, pergola curtains are a popular feature. A few weeks ago I wrote about the different options available for adding privacy and sun protection to the sides of your pergola.

If you’ve already decided on curtains, you can skip the earlier blog and get right down to the fun of choosing fabrics. Choices are a good thing and here is the big one: Solids or sheers? They offer two completely different looks and two completely different functions, and maybe a function or two you haven’t considered. Let’s compare how they enhance outdoor living:

Feature Solid Sheer Bug Screen
Privacy Complete Minimal Partial
Sun/UV Protection Complete Minimal Minimal
Weather Protection Complete Partial Partial
Bug Barrier Complete Complete Complete
Service Life Longest Long Long
Style Can match canopy fabric Ethereal atmosphere Practical
Durability Maximum Minimum In Between
Zippers and closures Optional Not recommended Optional
Choice Hundreds of colors and patterns Limited colors and patterns Very limited
Price Highest In Between Lowest

The most significant assumption in the guide above is that you are comparing outdoor solid curtain fabrics with outdoor sheer fabrics. The use of outdoor fabrics is critical to you enjoying a service life that is makes it worthwhile to purchase these items. Standard (aka indoor) fabrics, and especially sheers, will deteriorate from UV at a rate that is alarming.  So I always remind the outdoor living enthusiast to make the investment in quality materials made for outdoor use.

At ShadeFX, we use Sunbrella outdoor fabrics because they are proven to be the best outdoor fabric that resist the hazards of outdoor use. Until solution dyed acrylic came along (proprietary technology used by Glen Raven Mills and Sunbrella), five year no fade warranties were unheard of for outdoor fabrics. Sunbrella now offers a ten year no fade warranty. Combine that with our twelve year ShadeFX mechanism warranty and ….  in one word: Relax.

Retractable Solutions for Outdoor Spaces

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